So, I did something totally unlike me this week. I did a juice cleanse. I’ll say right off the bat, I am NOT a dieter. I’ve never done a fad diet, and never will. It’s not for me, I’m not disciplined enough and I don’t care enough to work so hard at eating. Plus, I love food. LOVE it. It’s my 3rd love after family and friends. Anyway, that’s not what this about, and also why I started this post like this – this is not a diet. I received several comments from people asking how much weight I’ve lost, but that’s not why I did it, I did it because I was feeling shitty (I know, probably due to my lack of dieting and my love of food, I do get it) anyway, I was feeling shitty – super tired all the time, achy, grumpy, and just off. I felt the need to hit reset on my body.
My assistant Kate and I went to lunch at The Garden Table, which is delicious on its own, but we also ordered some of their fresh pressed juices. While we raved about how good they were, the server told us about this cleanse they offer with these very juices. I was intrigued. I went home and looked it up on the Internet and read about all the possible benefits and whatnot and thought, hell, why not? I can do anything for 3 days and these juices rock! So, I enlisted Kate to suffer with me and she agreed.
On the few days leading up to the cleanse you’re supposed to omit sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and meat from your diet, and basically just eat clean. Honestly, that part was harder than the cleanse itself for me. I wasn’t super strict except for the alcohol and caffeine, and otherwise just ate a lot healthier than I normally would. Then, came the cleanse. The first day was the easiest, the juices were satisfying and gave me something to look forward to every 2 hours. Besides a few tummy grumbles, I was fine. The second day was a bit harder, the juices weren’t tasting so good any more and I had a long day at work, so I was a bit famished. The third day was easy, probably because there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but holy hell, those damn juices. The juices were tasting terrible to me. It was hard to choke one down every 2 hours. And I loved all but one juice on Day 1.
Everyone wants to know about the benefits so here is what I experienced:
- No 2:00 sleepys. I normally hit a wall every day at 2pm and either need to take a nap or ingest copious amounts of caffeine, that didn’t happen AT ALL on the cleanse.
- I felt more hydrated. I mean, of course. I was drinking 96 ounces of juice and about 60 ounces of water per day, how could I not?
- My head felt clearer, I stayed focused on things longer (except when I had to get up every 30 minutes to use the restroom.)
- I did lose weight. I lost 4 pounds in the 3 days (and I’m only 5 ft. so that’s a lot on my frame,) but again, I am under no illusion that this weight will stay off.
- My body certainly detoxified itself. Probably TMI here, but there were many trips to the restroom and much TP used. Also, I happened to have a cold while I was doing this and I’m normally super stuffy when I have a cold, but my nose ran like a faucet and I never felt congested. I’m thinking the cleanse had something to do with that.
- Cravings are gone. Once I went back to eating today, I really didn’t even want to. I skipped my regular coffees throughout the day and didn’t even want to dive into a burger and fries, I was perfectly happy eating healthier options without feeling deprived at all.
So, that’s it. Was it life-changing? No. Am I glad I did it? Yes. I think it’s good for us to hit the reset button on our bodies every once in a while, a week without bad stuff can only be good for your body, and who knows, maybe I’ll continue to choose healthier options. Or, maybe I’ll stuff my face with a muffaletta and crawfish etoufee when I head to New Orleans tomorrow.
Shaindel of Raw Sugar Photography is an Indianapolis photographer located in Indianapolis, IN. Shaindel creates quality timeless images of your babies, family portraits, newborn moments and all the days in between. Serving Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel and surrounding communities.